The present invention relates to panels for ready-to-assemble furniture, and more particularly relates to a foldable fibreboard or hardboard panel having knock-out areas that extend over a hinge line and to a method for manufacturing such a panel.
In ready-to-assemble furniture such as a bookshelf or a television box, wood or veneered chipboard may be used for the frame and shelves, and paperboard or hardboard may be used to provide the back panel. The furniture manufacturers try to provide the ready-to-assemble parts in containers that are as small as possible. Therefore, it is necessary to divide or fold the backing panels into sections. Panels made of paperboard can be partially die cut to leave some layers of paperboard to serve as a hinge. However, panels made of hardboard or fibreboard cannot be hinged in this manner. Typically, many furniture manufacturers have provided two separate backing panels that must be joined by a plastic trim strip. However, this involves more expense to the manufacturer, and more assembly work by the consumer. Also, the resulting back panel is less attractive. Tape hinges have been used to join two hard panels. For example, two pieces of board may be aligned and tape may be applied over the joint to form a hinge. However, this approach requires careful alignment of the two pieces before applying the hinge.
Further, holes or knock-out areas may be needed in the back panel for power cords. In the case of entertainment centers, it may be necessary to form knock-out areas to accommodate the projecting back of a television. Furniture manufacturers would normally avoid forming such knock-out areas to extend over a hinge, since they would have to align the knock-out areas, in addition to aligning two pieces of hardboard when applying the hinge. This restricts the flexibility of manufacturers in designing certain ready-to-assemble furniture.
There is a need in the art for a hinged panel that does not require careful alignment of the two pieces to form an attractive large panel. There is a further need for a hinged panel that is inexpensive to manufacture and that requires less assembly work. There is also a need for a hinged panel where knock-out areas can be easily formed anywhere in the back panel, even in the area that extends over the hinge.
The present invention seeks to provide a hinged panel for furniture which does not require careful alignment of the two pieces before applying the hinge. The present invention also seeks to provide a hinged panel that is inexpensive to manufacture and that requires less assembly work. Further, the present invention seeks to provide a hinged panel in which smooth knock-out areas can be easily formed anywhere in the panel even in the area that extends over the hinge. The present invention also seeks to provide a method for manufacturing a panel for furniture described above.
In accordance with the invention, these objects are accomplished by providing a hinged panel in which a piece of board is die cut along a hinge line where a tape is first placed in such a way that the piece of board is die cut while the tape remains uncut. The board may be a medium density fibreboard (MDF) or high density fibreboard (HDF) or hardboard, or any other suitable sheet material. One or more knock-out areas are die cut along the hinge line through both the board and the tape so as to straddle the hinge line. Since newly formed pieces of board at each side of the hinge have originally been one piece, the joint itself is a perfect match and the edges of the newly formed pieces are urged together when the assembly is unfolded, making the joint virtually invisible. Further, since one or more knock-out areas are die cut in such a way that they extend over the hinge line, any knock-out areas straddling the hinge line match precisely to form a smooth opening.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a wood-grained covering may be adhered to the board""s surface opposite from the side where the tape is placed. By adhering a wood-grained covering to the board surface, the panel matches other components which make up ready-to-assemble furniture, such as wood or veneered chipboard.
In a preferred embodiment, a paper covering may also be adhered to the board""s surface so as to cover the tape.
The present invention also provides a method for making a hinged panel, comprising the steps of placing a tape onto a piece of board along a hinge line; die cutting the piece of board from the side opposite the tape along the hinge line; and die cutting one or more knock-out areas through the board and the tape such that the one or more knock-out areas straddle the hinge line.